Tomorrow Comes After Yesterday
by ZheM
Summary: Sequel to Is Yesterday Over Yet? KakaNaru It's a hard decision to make, giving yourself to another person or saying no and being alone. It's an answer Kakashi always thought he had.


This chapter took me much longer than I would have liked. I'm not sure I love it yet so I'm hoping for some consrtuctive criticism or suggestions. I guess we'll see, ne?

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**Tomorrow Comes After Yesterday**

ZzZ

Kakashi's left arm was numb but at the moment he was pretty sure that he would rather chew it off than wake the blond currently sleeping at his side. Slightly coarse hair tickled over his skin with each breath he took and Kakashi tried to observe Naruto without making any movements or altering his breathing in any way.

He looked around carefully for anything that might aid in a clean getaway for him but the only thing nearby was a threadbare pillow. It probably wouldn't work but any escape plan was worth a try in this situation. Kakashi looked over his sleeping student regretfully, wondering if the night before was a fluke and if he would die as soon as those blue eyes greeted the day.

It wasn't a possibility he was willing to leave up to chance. It only took a few hand seals before Kakashi was standing over the bed watching his student snuggle with his pillow. The sight was cuter than the silver-haired ninja had thought it would be and he cursed his lack preparedness for his not having a camera. It would have made great blackmail material.

The jounin slipped into his clothes as quickly and as quietly as he could, which meant he only tripped and fell into a bookcase once, but Naruto slept through it all. He was kind of grateful for that on one hand, but on the other, Naruto was a ninja and no matter how much he might have drunk last night, he should have been up-and-at'em as soon as there was the slightest movement in the room.

That meant that there was hard training in the blond's future, hard and grueling training for them all. A team is only as good as its weakest link and Naruto would probably rather die than have it be him. Kakashi smirked behind his mask. This was going to be fun. And as an added bonus to the torture of his team, Kakashi would get to see Naruto sweaty and possibly half-naked again. Maybe he should leave hickies as a reminder…

He shook his head ruefully. Naruto would kill him if he woke up with dark marks in places his clothes wouldn't hide, but it was a fun thought while it lasted.

Kakashi's eyes landed on the framed photograph of Team 7 as he turned to leave and for a moment he couldn't tear his eyes away. It seemed like only yesterday that he had wrestled those boys into submission long enough for it to be taken. It seemed like a lifetime ago that they had been a whole team.

He looked back at Naruto's sleeping form and felt another pang of regret. They had just done something that would make the team even more estranged. Sasuke had always been his 'favored' student and it was something both Sakura and Naruto had probably felt acutely. It had distanced him from them in ways no team should be separated. And now, he had done this, it would only remove Naruto from Sakura and Sasuke when/if he came home. Kakashi had just given Naruto a position above the others and that shouldn't be acceptable.

Not for the first time since being assigned to the team did Kakashi wonder if he was really the right man for the job. He'd taken it as his mission, something that should be completed no matter what, and in the end he had failed miserably. It was no wonder he drank so much.

The jounin let out a humorless laugh and shook his head again. Here he was contemplating one of his greatest failures and standing eight feet from what might end up being an even bigger mistake.

His hand tightened around the doorknob and Kakashi stepped through the door. He turned to look at Naruto again and met understanding blue eyes. His gloved hand rose in silent farewell and Kakashi nodded before continuing on his way out.

Naruto understood his silent plea and only watched as his teacher showed himself to the door. After it closed behind the jounin, the blond lowered his eyes to the floor and shook his head in astonishment.

"Later then, sensei. Later."

It was just a normal day, nothing new, Kakashi tried to tell himself as he walked toward his own home. There was a faint tremor in his hand that just screamed that he was lying to himself. The copy-nin shrugged, trying to shake off the awareness running through his system.

He had to meet what was left of his team today and Kakashi really didn't want to show up so paranoid that he jumped at every long look.

It was only an hour after their appointed meeting time by the time Kakashi arrived to find his team waiting. A chorus of 'You're late' met his ears on cue and the jounin turned a surprised eye to his blond student.

Naruto only looked at him expectantly before loudly asking what their training for the day would be.

Kakashi was a little disappointed to find that his chosen training method didn't require Naruto to strip down to even his t-shirt. That orange jacket was really irritating him today and the blond still manage to act as though nothing had transpired the night before. Considering how loud the other was under normal circumstances it was a little disconcerting to know he could keep silent about something so important.

They had been training for well over an hour before Kakashi realized that Naruto was only biding his time before killing him in the slowest possible way he could think of. He frowned behind his mask. The blond had enjoyed it both times so there was really no reason to kill him. It would be pointless for Naruto to try to take revenge when they both knew he had liked every minute of it.

The jounin shook his head and slid into a comfortable crouch at the base of a nearby tree. He pulled out his most recent copy of _Icha Icha Paradise_, careful not to catch any of the edges on his pocket.

An hour later he lifted a dark eye to find Sakura grabbing her over-shirt and heading down the road. Naruto stood far enough away to appear nonchalant but close enough to let Kakashi know he had stayed behind for a reason. The older man mentally groaned and slowly stood. He shook each leg, trying to work out some of his stiffness. Maybe he really was getting too old for all of this.

Kakashi turned away from the other man and began walking back toward a populated area of the town. If Naruto was going to get angry for no real good reason and kill him, the silver-haired ninja wanted it to be someplace public.

"Kakashi-sensei, wait," Naruto called, sounding confused and a little lost.

He stopped for a minute before turning to find the blond jogging the short distance to stand an arm's length away from him.

"How can I help you, Naruto," he asked, trying to sound casual while mentally debating gathering chakra for a Chidori or fifteen….

Naruto smiled vaguely before looking into his eye. "We kinda gotta talk sometime…"

"Ah, yes. You first."

"Uh, ahem about, about last night, we…you… I mean… We were both drinking," he finished finally. "And, uh, these things happen, you know?"

Kakashi nodded, trying to figure out where the blond was going with all of this.

"What I mean is… it's not a big deal, well it is but it isn't, yeah??"

He shrugged noncommittally, comforted by the fact that he probably wouldn't be dying today. "Sure, Naruto, it's not important," he assured, hoping his voice didn't sound as small to the blond as it did to his own ears.

"But it is important, we… It's important, ok?" The blond's eyes had a slightly pleading quality that Kakashi was loath to ignore.

He nodded again before waving and turning back the way he had been heading. Kakashi hoped Naruto didn't notice the resigned slump of his shoulders.

Naruto watched him walk away again and wondered if they'd ever really get their shit together. It didn't seem likely at this point. He laughed a little and headed in the direction of Icharaku's ramen stand.

It was a few weeks later that Kakashi found Naruto leaning against the bar nursing a cup of sake. He couldn't say it was all that surprising. In all honesty, he had come to expect it, even when the blond slung an arm around his shoulders and slumped against him.

Kakashi gave a low laugh as he stood and lifted the blond off of his stool. Naruto clung tighter as his feet hit the ground and he tripped a little. He giggled and pressed his face into the space between the jounin's shoulder and neck.

"Let's get you home, Naruto," Kakashi whispered as he led the stumbling blond out of the building.

"Will you stay with me this time, Kakashi-sensei?" His eyes were stubborn and hazy but he tightened his grip before the silver-haired man could pull away.

Kakashi shook his head in dismay though underneath his mask he was smiling.

"Tonight, Naruto, at least tonight."

ZzZ

So?? -_pokes_-  
Did it suck?? lol


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